New Mike Leigh, Pablo Larrain Films in San Sebastian Competition

'Tender Loving Care' © Joseph Lynn / ©️ Thin Man Films Ltd

New films from Mike Leigh, Pablo Larrain and Hans Petter Moland are among the titles in the running for the Golden Shell at this year’s San Sebastian film festival.

San Sebastian on Tuesday revealed additions to its 2026 competition selection, including Leigh’s British drama Tender Loving Care; Moland’s Growth of the Soil; and Larrain’s My Sad Dead — a Netflix mini-series that will be screened as single, 4-hour feature.

Other competition highlights including Milo from director Nicole Garcia (Oran), a French drama featuring Marion Cotillard and Lurker star Théodore Pellerin; and In My Father’s Room, the directorial debut of Japanese novelist Maha Harada.

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Two previous festival winners return, with Argentine director Benjamín Naishtat, winner of the Silver Shell for best director for Rojo in 2018, and the best screenplay honors for Puan in 2023, back in competition with Glaxo, a 1950s-set drama based on the novel of the same name by Argentine writer Hernán Ronsino and starring Lali Espósito, Marcelo Subiotto and Esteban Bigliardi.

Turkish filmmaker Yeşim Ustaoğlu, whose Pandora’s Box (2008) won the Golden Shell, with lead Tsilla Chelton taking best actress, will present her latest, What Remains, at San Sebastian this year.

San Sebastian previously announced three Spanish films in official competition: El mal padre from Roberto Bueso; 5 more minutes from Javier Ruiz Caldera; Saints from Mikel Gurrea. Out of competition, San Sebastian will screen two Spanish series: El castillo, created and written by Isabel Peña and Eduardo Villanueva and directed by Elena Martín Gimeno and Sandra Romero, and Beyond Society, from Carlos Torres. Special screenings include The Last Goodbye from Koldo Almandoz; Pray for Us from Daniel Monzón; The Harvester from David Pérez Sañudo; and Bajañí from Fernando Trueba.

The 74th San Sebastián Festival runs from September 18-26.